Combined bail and box-cover fastener.



H. S. HOFBN.

COMBINED BAIL AND BOX covm FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912.

1,%5,%6, Patented Dec. 3, 1912.

HENRY S. HOFEN, OF-DACOMA, OKLAHOMA.

COMBINED BAIL AND BOX-COVER FASTENER;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented peas, 1912.

Application filed .Tune 15, 1912. Serial No. 703,962.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY S llornn, a citizen of the United States, resldmg at Dacoma, in the county of Woods and State of Oklahoma, have invented certa n new and useful Improvements in Comb ned Bails and Box-Cover Fasteners, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings. v

This invention relates to a-comb1nat1on handle and lid lock which "is designed more particularly to be used in conjunction with egg crates or similarboxes, andthe primary object of the present invention is to provide a bail which can be used for a double use, that is, which may be used for locking the lid upon the box and at the same time provide means by which the box may be carried.

, This invention further resides in the novel features of construction which will be inexpensive in the cost of manufacture, strong, durable and eflicient when in use.

With the above and other objects in view this invention consists of a bail which is slidably mounted upon the upper face of a box lid, the ends of which are adapted to provide means for locking the lid upon the box.

This invention further consists of the novel details of construction, combination, formation andarrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and particularly pointed out in the appended drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of the box provided with a lid having my improved bail shown in a locked position and shown in dotted lines when in an unlocking position. Fig. is-a perspective view of the lid prov ded with my improved bail to be used in conjunction with metal boxes, and Fig. 3'

' within marginal recesses 13 formed in each end of the lid. This will obviously prevent any lateral or longitudinal movement of the lid with relation to the body of the box, and to provide means for locking the lid upon the box, which may also be used as means for carrying the box when the same is in a locked position, I provide a bail 14. This bail 14 is preferably constructed of one con-- tinuous-piece of material slidably mounted upon the upper face of the lid within hearing clips 15. This bail 14 is bent in a sub- I stantially rectangular shape within its intermediate portion of a distance equal to the distance between the inner ends of the bearing clips 15, so that when the middle portion of the bail is in a raised position, it will prevent the same from sliding longitudinally for a purpose which will be hereinafter described. The extremities of the bail 14 extend equi-distant on each side of' the middle portion through the bearing clips 15 andthen through the apertured lugs formed upon the body portion of the box-Which will obviously lock the lid. Each of the bearing clips 15 are provided on one side and at their inner ends with a cut away portion 16 which forms a longitudinal slot through which the middle portion of the bail may slide longitgudinally when unlocking the lid from the It will be seen from the foregoing that when the middle portion of the bail is in a substantially vertical position or swung to one side of the lid opposite to the side of the cut-away portion of the bearing clips, the extremities of the locking bail will be permanently held within the apertured lugs formed in the body portion of the box, but when the bail is swung to the opposite side of the lid and the middle portion thereof lies in the same horizontal plane with the extremities of the bail, the same may slide longitudinally of the top and thereby first releasing one extremity of the bail from one of the apertured lugs which will permit that end of the lid to be raised and then the bail is forced in an opposite direction so that the opposite extremity of the bail may be released from the apertured lug formed in the opposite side of the box, thereby permitting the lid to be readily removed. To provide means to allow the middle portion of the bail to lie in the same horizontal plane with the extremities thereof, the outer extremity of the middle portion is off-set as at 17 and provided with the usual hand grip 18, so.

that when the hand grip lies upon the lid of the same time form abearing block which will add to'the strength of the bail. Let it be particularly noted from Fig. 2 of the drawing that when using this bail in 'conjunction with metal boxes these transverse I brace rods 19 may be eliminated, as shown.

What I claim is 1. In a locking bail having a box consisting of one continuous piece of material bent at its intermediate portions, a pair of hearing clips mounted upon the lid for retaining the extremities of said bail, each of the said clips having a slot formed therein to permit the extremities of said bail to slide in a longitudinal direction, substantially as described. 2. In a device of the character described,

the combination of a box having a lid therefor, a sliding bail mounted upon said lid and adapted to engage the box, clips mounted upon the said lid for retaining the extremities of said hail, the said clips eatfli having cut away portions formed in one side adjawvhen in a parallel'relation with the lid of cent the inner ends thereof, the said bail adapted to swing upon its'vertical axis and,

the box, the same may be moved longitudinally within said recesses, substantially as described.

3. In a lid locking bail of the character described, the combination of a box having a lid therefor,'clips mounted upon the upper face of said lid being eachformed of one continuous piece of sheet metal and'raised in their medial portion to form a bearing for the hail, the said bail comprising a continuous piece of wire bent at its intermediate portion at a length substantially as the distance between the clips mounted upon the lid of the box, the extremities of the bail be ing rotatably mounted within the bearings formed by the clips, the intermediate portion of the bail having an angular bent portion so that the remaining part of the. intermediate portionof the bail may lie in aplane substantially as that of the lid of the box, and each of the said clips having a cut away portion formed at the inner ends thereof so that the bail may move longitudi ll within said recesses, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto atiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses. HENRY S. HOF EN. Witnesses:

GEO. WEABER, E. P. READ. 

